I figure if all the good bass fisherman here on TFF all posted one of their best tips pertaining to a favored technique, we could all learn and get better.

IF YOU CONTINUE READING DOWN TFF'ERS, YOU SHOULD FEEL OBLIGATED TO MAKE A POST . . OVER 100 VIEWS WITH ONLY 4 POSTS . . THIS SHOULD BE A TEAM EFFORT GUYS - EDIT

For me last year, I was really working on 2 techniques:

1) Crankbaits: Everytime I caught bigger fish on these, i was pulling them down a point or drop off bouncing off the bottom until I hit a channel or a ditch and thats where some bigger bites came from, or hitting structure on my targeted lanes i.e.: brush pile, stump, rocks

2) Senkos and flukes, especially in grass: Most of the time, I have gotten many more bites slowing down once i find the fish and really making the presentation too tantalizing for a bass to say no. . i feel i fished these too fast in the past (every now and then they like a faster fluke retrieve) but overall slowing down has been more productive

For bass I always start with the good ol' zoom plastic worm in watermelon seed green. On days when they're extremely active, I'll throw a fast action crankbait or spinner/buzzbait. On slower days especially in clear water, I'll take it down a notch and try jointed crankbaits, or some slow jigging with a football jig or tube. With topwater structure, I'll throw frogs, poppers and jitterbugs. Any rocky areas or rip rap usually get a crawdad imitation, gets them every time.

All (well, a good amount) of my other fishing knowledge is on my website.

Most of my best success has been with techniques I learned from someone else. But this one I came-up with on my own out of necessity.

I was throwing a Spro Frog on grass mats. The mats had been getting pounded so I wasn't getting any bites near the edge. I started throwing way back where I doubt anyone had been fishing. I started getting hammered back on these long casts but my problem was I couldn't get them out of all the slop in-between them and my boat. The few I did get through got so tangled-up in the salad they couldn't fight so I ended-up just dragging them back on top of the mat. So what I started doing was as soon as I got bit and set the hook I'd let them dive and fight all they wanted. I didn't reel and just kept the line as taught as possible. In almost all cases the fish would stop fighting and I could just drag it in without a fight.

Good idea. A lot of people might not share because they dont want to give away their advantage or their secret, but here it goes.

Mine are solely related to big fish as that is what I tend to focus on.

#1 Fish deeper and slower. Bigger fish tend to stay deep most of the year and they tend to feed on easy (slow) prey.

#2 Check your line and your drag often. When your line snaps or you dont stick a fish, its too late to fix it then. One of the best ways to do this is to pitch your bait to the back of the boat and have your partner step on it (and put some body weight on that foot). If you trust them enough, set the hook hard and make sure the line doesnt snap and the drag slips correctly. If all went well, go right back to fishing. It only takes 5 seconds.

I dont know if this is good advice or not lol... but I use a 3/0 hook for everything even 10" worms to me I feel it allows the worm to have more action... some will say the hook needs to be bigger because they may only bite the tail... but after watching how fish react when they actually bite I dont think I have seen a video where they dont suck up the entire bait... only time I have this happen is when they move it off a bed...

Re tie your hooks often... I re tie after about every 3 fish or so just to make sure that knot is not going to cause me to lose a fish...

fish slow
check and retie often
dont' be afraid to try something or do something unorthodox (out of the box) regardless what everyone else says or does

Winter time jig, throw it out let it set for a few minutes twitch and repeat.

I like to fish with topwater plugs as aoften as possible which usally for me is most benefitical in calm morning or afternoons right before sunrise or set. I am from south Florida orignally and we are very big on torpedos by hennon. i like to take the baby Torpedo in Clear and paint the eyes yellow. Throw out about 6" from a topwater grass bed or from the lillies and let it sit till the ripples from the landing are gone. Then slowley twitch it back in a pattern of 4 twitch : 3 sec pauses and your sure to ge the attention of a hog!!!!!

Shakey Head Plastics- If you want some floating action (ala- Kickerfish Hightail Holeshot) out of the Salt laiden Plastics, get a small peice of metal tubing (Copper, Brass, etc.) and ream holes through the Tail, mid-section, where ever you want. The holes you make will trap air and make your plastic float more and give a nice action. Good thread Arky Jay- Lets hope this one stays busy!

slowwwwwwwwwwwwww dowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwn!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is a boat positioning tip to try that works best after post spawn or later in the summer. Position your boat over the top of grassy points and cast out to the end of the point and retrieve your lures toward the grass. Quietly put your boat into position using the trolling motor and approach from the side of the point (perpendicular to the point). I feel like I am hiding the boat over the top of the grass and giving the fish a different perspective.

Yeah, simply put, this has made the biggest improvement in my fishing than anything else -- no doubt.

Which is the most important: Figuring out the spot, or what to do at your location. This is my thinking, fish have small brains so, they aren't too hard to catch. So I keep moving until I get bites. But then there are others that want to make it happen at there location and almost refuse to change. Which is the best when trying to locate fish?

Most pros talk a lot about adapting to spots that they pre fished well, but shut down during tournaments, they generally are within 100yards of where you found em. . one thing I've learned being a biology major and studying ecology etc. is this basis: Animals want to spend the least amount of energy gathering the most amount of food, without being eaten themselves and successfully reproducing . .

So people that win tournaments generally isn't the bait as much as it is they are in the right spot(s) with a proper presentation to that spot where the fish are comfortable

so i guess to your question, pre fishing is very important . . if you find one big fish shallow, its probably a really good piece of structure that holds 1-2 good fish, then you have to find the next good piece similar down the bank.
if your deep, that one good piece of structure may hold 3-5 good fish and has a better chance at replenishing due to bigger fish move in deeper water. . so you need to compile both bites before a tournament in pre fishing, find similar patterns to fish during the tournament, and hope your boat is faster than the other guys who figured this out as well

It all depends. If you're fishing a tournament and are in a time crunch you probably need to move around a lot and locate active, feeding fish. But if not, it's probably better to find a good spot, good structure and a lot of forage, and fish it until fish get active. I don't know how many times I've been fishing a spot with not a bite only to fish it later and get hammered.

If you find a really good spot chances are good fish are going to use it to feed sometime during the day -- you just have to be there when they're turned on. If you're really in tune with the lake you'll probably know when the dinner bell goes off, if not you might have to wait.